Keeping Yourself Busy Indoors

So with everything going on right now I thought it would be useful to make a list of suggestions that you (and your families) can get involved in to make staying at home fun and to add a little bit of excitement into your day!

Although I’m an avid home bird myself, I am finding it quite difficult to stay motivated and positive during this peculiar period of time. Despite this, I have come up with a variety of activities to help take my mind off things and to just enjoy every moment of the day. After all, it’s the little things in life that make us so grateful to be here.

START A NEW BOOK – this was one of my New Year’s Resolutions and embarrassing I haven’t got round to starting a new book yet. Now is the perfect time to sit out in the sunshine and spend a few hours reading. So if anyone has any book recommendations then I would love to know – please leave them in the comments below!

PRACTICE SOME YOGA – I have just started doing ‘Yoga With Adriene’ on Youtube and I’m absolutely loving it. It feels so nice to properly wined down on an evening and to stretch any tension out of your body. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is feeling a little stressed, plus is great to improve your flexibility.

LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE – I learnt Spanish all the way throughout school yet I can’t say anything else other than, “My name is Lydia and I have two cats” – appalling I know, but since we will be spending a considerable amount of time indoors these next few weeks, what better time to download Duolingo and crack on with improving a language, or to even learn a completely new one.

TRY AND ACCOMPLISH ONE WORKOUT A DAY – Not going to lie, I’m feeling a bit lost not going to the gym a few times a week as I find it a really useful way to relive stress. However, this last week has taught me that really, you don’t need to pay to go to the gym at all; you can save a lot of money and do it all from the comfort of your own house. Joe Wicks has loads of free workouts out on Youtube and Shreddy, Grace Beverely’s fitness brand on Instagram, are also doing a free 14 day home workout programme – a fab idea to get you moving and they don’t require any equipment.

BAKE SOMETHING NEW – If you didn’t know already, I absolutely love baking. As we have so much time to spare, why not dig out your old recipe books and try baking something new… Even if you’re not planning on eating it, I’m sure your family will, or you could even leave some for your neighbours at their doors as I’m sure they’d love it too. My favourite things to bake have got to be BBC Good Food’s Banana Bread (but add choc chips to it) and Paul A Young’s Chocolate Brownies – just a word of warning though, these are literally to die for.

DEEP CLEAN – Put the radio on and start ticking off the never-ending house jobs on your to do list. It’s a great time to pay attention to the small things in your house – DIY, redecorate or simply clear out your winter wardrobe ready for spring.

HAVE A MOVIE NIGHT – Grab some snacks, bring down your duvet and put a film on for the whole family. Although I am the worst person when it comes to films (as 9/10 times I won’t have seen the film you’re talking about) I am definitely going to use this time to watch some classics over the next few weeks.

CREATE A PINTEREST ACCOUNT – I have had Pinterest for years now and I still love using it. There are so many innovative ideas and photos on there you will never run out of inspiration. You’re able to create your own board and pin any photos to them that you like – these can be quotes, places to tick off your bucket list or even just simple cooking ideas. This is one of my favourite ways to pass time.

HAVE A PAMPER NIGHT – It is very important to look after yourself when you’re stressed and having a pamper night is a great form of self care that will make anyone feel 10 times better after. Light your favourite candle, put on a relaxing playlist and treat yourself to a bath. Then afterwards do your skincare routine, or even put some fake tan on, because we all know everything’s better with a tan!

START A NEW SERIES ON NETFLIX – In my usual weekly routine I find myself starting a series on Netflix and not finishing it for weeks to come… However, I have just started Next in Fashion and I am already 5 episodes in, and completely loving it. Some of my favourite series to watch on Netflix are: Sex Education, End of the F***ing World, Line of Duty, Don’t F**k With Cats, Happy Valley, Doctor Foster and Unbelievable. What are yours? If you have any recommendations then I’d love if you could leave them in the comments below!

LEARN SOME TIKTOK DANCES – Not going to lie, it’s been a few days and I have already caved into the TikTok hype, but I’m here for it so it’s okay. Some of the dances are actually very hard but why not challenge your friends to see who can learn it the quickest or just have a laugh with your family, you don’t actually have to post them but its a great way of making memories to look back on, even if they are a little cringey.

DOWNLOAD HEADSPACE – I’ve had Headspace downloaded on my phone for a few months now and usually, I forget all about it. Recently though, I have been trying some of the sessions out and I have been surprised with how good they have been. You feel so relaxed and more motivated after them so I’d really recommend doing this if you haven’t already!

STAY CONNECTED – We are very lucky to have the technology that we do today so utilise it and get in touch with friends you haven’t spoken to for a while. Grab a tea or coffee, or even a G’n’T, and have that long catch up that you’ve been meaning to have. Just because we’re not allowed to go out and socialise, there’s nothing stopping you doing it over FaceTime or Skype!

GET CREATIVE – Unleash your inner child and get painting, colouring or even start scrapbooking! I order all my photos from Free Prints; they are a very reasonable price and they usually arrive super quick so there’s no waiting around – bonus! It’s a great way to take your mind off things and can be done outdoors too. Yesterday, I decided to get creative and upcycle some of my favourite sweatshirts. I decided that they needed a bit of a revamp so I used some sheers and cut them into cropped ones – the perfect outfit to laze around the house in.